Fwd: Morning Bell: Surviving the Obama Assault on the Rule of Law

07/29/2010 Surviving the Obama Assault on the Rule of Law Hours after yesterday's decision by President Bill Clinton judicial appointee Susan Bolton to preemptively stop enforcement of Arizona's immigration enforcement law, Thomas A. Saenz, president of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), told The New York Times: "This is a warning to any other jurisdiction." Just in case the message from the Obama administration and its leftist allies was not clear, Obama appointee U.S. Attorney Dennis Burke told The Associated Press: "Surely it's going to make states pause and consider how they're drafting legislation and how it fits in a constitutional framework." But no amount of pause by states and localities could ever possibly satisfy the Obama administration, its amnesty allies, and activist judges like Bolton. In a textbook case of judicial activism, Judge Bolton rewrote the Arizona law to her own needs, invented her own facts and ignored clear federal law. President Jimmy Carter appointee and immigration law professor at Yale Law School Peter Schuck told The New York Times: "She rushed to judgment in a way I can only assume reflects a lot of pressure from the federal government to get this case resolved quickly." The Obama administration's case against Arizona sought to preemptively stop enforcement of Arizona's new immigration law. The legal term for this is a "facial challenge," and federal precedent is clear that facial challenges "must be careful not to go beyond the statute's facial requirements and speculate about 'hypothetical' or imaginary cases." But that is exactly what Judge Bolton did. First, she ignored Section 2(B) of the law as written and completely ignored the section's first sentence that required an officer to have "reasonable suspicion" that a person was in the country illegally before their immigration status should be checked. Then, she invented a completely hypothetical case about a Chilean dog walker detained by a completely fictional Sheriff Smith. Finally, despite the fact that 8 U.S.C. §1373 clearly requires the federal government to "respond to an inquiry by a…State, or local government agency, seeking to verify or ascertain the citizenship or immigration status of any individual," Judge Bolton concluded that the Obama administration's decision not to enforce this provision was as good as rewriting the law itself.

Fwd: Budget Bulletin: White House Confirms Continued Trillion-Dollar Budget Deficits

Budget Bulletin Your source for federal budget news and analysis Recent Updates The CLASS Act: Repeal Now, or Face Permanent Taxpayer Bailout Later Five Ways to Tackle Spending and Deficits The Bush Tax Cuts and the Deficit Myth Featured Research White House Confirms Continued Trillion-Dollar Budget Deficits By Brian Riedl The White House released its updated federal budget projectionsrecently. By releasing the report late on a Friday afternoon—a longtime Washington tradition for stories that politicians want to bury—the Obama Administration is effectively admitting that its budget numbers will not be well-received. The "Mid-Session Budget Review" projects that this year's budget deficit will reach $1.471 trillion, or 10 percent of the economy. In nominal dollars, it's the largest deficit in American history. As a percentage of the economy, it's the largest deficit since World War II. This will be the second consecutive year of trillion-dollar deficits that approach 10 percent of the economy. By comparison, the previous post–World War II record was 6 percent of the economy in 1983. Under President George W. Bush, deficits typically ranged between $160 billion and $400 billion (around 3 percent of the economy). And the Obama Administration concedes that these large deficits are here to stay. It projects another $1.4 trillion deficit in 2011, followed by sustained deficits that never fall below $698 billion. The national debt held by the public—$5.8 trillion at the end of 2008—would soar to $18.5 trillion by the end of this decade. These future deficits are driven almost exclusively by rising spending. President Obama's budget would push inflation-adjusted federal spending past $36,000 per household by 2020—$12,000 above the level that prevailed under President Bush. Even President Obama's enormous and anti-growth $3 trillion tax increase proposal won't stop this spending spree from pushing the national debt to economically dangerous levels. >> Click here to read Brian Riedl's full report Chart of the Week Get more charts with Heritage's Federal Revenue and Spending Book of Charts About The Heritage Foundation Founded in 1973, The Heritage Foundation is a research and educational institute - a think tank - whose mission is to formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong national defense. The Heritage Foundation | 214 Massachusetts Ave NE, Washington, DC 20002 | 202.546.4400

Fwd: Morning Bell: 100 Days Later, Obama Still Failing the Gulf

07/28/2010 100 Days Later, Obama Still Failing the Gulf Over the last four weeks, The Heritage Foundation sent multiple teams of respected energy, environment, homeland security and response experts to the Gulf to study the federal response to the oil spill. These three delegations, with more to come, have traversed the areas hit hardest by the crisis, talking to response workers, affected oil crews, fishermen, elected leaders and BP representatives. What we found is simple: President Obama's administration has turned a crisis into a disaster, and someone needs to be held accountable. Accountability is in short supply in Washington these days. Fingers are pointed in every direction for our nation's economic woes. President Obama's favorite target of choice is the past administration for nearly every problem he faces. Yet, the oil spill has only two central characters: BP and the Obama administration. BP is (very) slowly taking accountability for its creation of this crisis. Tony Hayward was finally dismissed as CEO, and they have promised full financial restitution for direct and indirect victims. On Day 100 of the spill, it's time the Obama administration followed suit. And what exactly does the administration have to be held accountable for? An environmental disaster made worse by federal incompetence. An unnecessary drilling moratorium that has pulled the plug on a Gulf economy already on life support. A claims process that was negotiated in secret, leaving few answers to why claims aren't being processed and transparency is lost. A slow response that wasted clean weather days as hurricane season fast approaches, and a decision-making structure led by politics rather than duty.

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Fwd: New Common Sense: Under God, An Inconvenient Phrase

New Common Sense Applying First Principles to the Issues of Today At Heritage Is there a moral defense for free markets and capitalism? Does Islamist ideology challenge America's founding principles? Around the Country Want to see experts discussing America's First Principles and the Constitution? Join Heritage at the annual Values Voter Summit on September 17-19, 2010 in Washington, DC. "Barack Obama has managed a rare feat in American history: The longer he is president, the less presidential he has become." Check out James W. Ceaser's article, "The Unpresidential President." Quick Thoughts Will the First Amendment survive this Congress? Senator Lindsey Graham misunderstands the Federalist Papers. Perhaps he has not seen our latest monograph. What We're Reading: The Sacred Rights of Conscience: Selected Readings on Religious Liberty and Church-State Relations in the American Founding edited by Daniel L. Dreisbach and Mark David Hall.   "Under God," An Inconvenient Phrase The Gettysburg Address is one of the greatest speeches in American history. In his short speech, Abraham Lincoln summarizes the first principles of our Founding and admonishes us to defend the republican and constitutional institutions essential to the American tradition. It is no surprise, then, that Lincoln's memorable words are etched in marble walls, or that groups across the country distribute it as part of a pocket guide. It is a surprise, when a group excludes phrases from this short speech and then suggests that fidelity to the text is irrelevant. That is exactly what the progressive legal society, American Constitution Society (ACS), did with its pocket guide to the Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and Gettysburg address. Here is what Lincoln said: "It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom; and that this government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." (Words in the original, emphasis added) Noticeably absent from ACS's version of Gettysburg address is Lincoln's reference to God in the last sentence. In his article "God and Gettysburg," Professor Robert P. George of Princeton University highlights the importance of getting the text of the Gettysburg Address right. After all, numerous newspaper accounts and transcriptions of the Address, as well as three of the five drafts (including the Bliss Draft with Lincoln's signature) contain the phrase "under God." ACS has since amended its version of the Gettysburg Address to include the words "The Hay Draft," without further context. George supplies the missing history of the Hay draft, though: "the Hay draft was found among [Lincoln's former secretary] John Hay's papers about forty years after Lincoln's death. It seems to have the greatest number of deviations from other drafts and from what Lincoln is known to have said at Gettysburg." ACS further responds that George's concern for fidelity to Lincoln's original speech is unnecessary. After all, "the draft of the Gettysburg address included in our pocket Constitution is just that, one of Lincoln's drafts." In the end, it seems that the final text of documents is not that important. Good thing we are only discussing the Gettysburg Address and not, say, the United States Constitution. Keep Reading about God and the Gettysburg Address                        Forward this message to a Friend!   Quote of the Week                            There is not a single instance in history in which civil liberty was lost, and religious liberty preserved entire. If therefore we yield up our temporal property, we at the same time deliver the conscience into bondage.. ~ John Witherspoon, The Dominion of Providence Over the Passions of Men For more quotes, visit westillholdthesetruths.org About The Heritage Foundation Founded in 1973, The Heritage Foundation is a research and educational institute -- a think tank -- whose mission is to formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong national defense. The Heritage Foundation | 214 Massachusetts Ave NE, Washington, DC 20002 | 202.546.4400

Fwd: Energy Department Official Can?t Say How Much Greenhouse Gas Is Generated on Capitol Hill

Today's Headlines Monday, July 26, 2010

Advertisement – NewsBusters.org, the website you trust to expose the liberal media's bias every day, is turning 5 years old in August!  Several activities are underway to celebrate this milestone, including a T-shirt giveaway. Every weekday between now and August 17, we will give away five NewsBusters t-shirts. Click here to sign up for a chance to win one. The sooner you sign up, the more chances you'll have to win!  Also, be sure to visit www.NewsBusters.org each Friday for more anniversary news and surprises. Energy Department Official Can't Say How Much Greenhouse Gas Is Generated on Capitol Hill (CNSNews.com) – At a House subcommittee hearing last week, an Energy Department official could not answer a question from a Republican lawmaker about how much pollution is emitted in the process of generating electricity for federal government operations in the nation's capital. When CNSNews.com asked for the greenhouse gas emissions inventory for the federal government operations in Washington, D.C., a spokesperson for the Energy Department said that greenhouse gas emissions are not measured by regions, but by each agency nationwide. The spokesperson also said that in the future, greenhouse gas emissions will be collected by zip code. Lockerbie Probe May Prove Uncomfortable for Obama Administration (CNSNews.com) – The four Democratic U.S. senators probing the early release of the Libyan convicted in the Lockerbie bombing believe there were links to a BP oil deal, but their inquiry may have the unintended consequence of raising questions about just how strongly the Obama administration opposed the Libyan's release. Scottish government ministers, stung by accusations that they released Abdel Baset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi to ease a massive oil exploration contract in Libya, are pointing out that it is the U.S. government that is blocking the release of two documents relating to the decision. U.S. Spent $314,613 Studying Increase in Family Violence After NFL Upset Losses (CNSNews.com) – The National Institutes of Health spent $314,613 over two years on a study that found family violence increases about three times as much on the Fourth of July as it does after the local NFL team suffers an "upset" loss. The researchers also determined that an "upset" loss by the local NFL home team was not linked to nearly as great an increase in family violence as were Christmas Day, Thanksgiving Day, Memorial Day, New Year's Day, and New Year's Eve. Sen. Baucus Won't Say If Obama's Controversial Recess-Appointee to Run Medicare Will Get Confirmation Hearing (CNSNews.com) – Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) would not say whether Dr. Donald Berwick, who received a recess appointment to run the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, would ever receive a Senate confirmation hearing in the committee that Baucus oversees, as the Constitution requires. On Capitol Hill last week, CNSNews.com asked Sen. Baucus, "Why didn't you schedule a hearing for Dr. Berwick?" Schumer's New Campaign Finance Bill Preserves NRA Loophole (CNSNews.com) – An updated version of a campaign finance bill written by Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) preserves a controversial loophole that would exempt the National Rifle Association from tough new disclosure and speech restrictions during election cycles. The new bill, an updated version of Schumer's original DISCLOSE Act, was introduced on the Senate floor on July 21 without being referred to committee. Massive US-South Korea Naval Maneuvers Held Amid North Korean Threats (CNSNews.com) – Despite characteristically belligerent rhetoric, there were no reports of North Korean troop movements or threatening behavior as South Korea and the United States continued large-scale naval exercises Monday aimed at deterring aggression by the isolated communist state. A statement by U.S. Army Gen. Walter Sharp, commander of U.S. Forces Korea, said the drills were "designed to send a clear message to North Korea that its aggressive behavior must stop." ACLJ Asks Commission to Make N.Y. Building a Landmark to Keep 13-Story Mosque from Being Built at Ground Zero (CNSNews.com) - A conservative civil liberties group has formally requested landmark status for a building in lower Manhattan that an Islamic group wants to replace with a 13-story mosque and community center. The American Center for Law and Justice said it is "urging city officials to landmark the site because it stands as a symbol of America's strength and survival in the face of brutal, sadistic terrorism." CNSNEWS.COM VIDEO HHS: Abortions and HIV Status Don't Have to Go in Electronic Health Records (CNSNews.com) - Dr. David Blumenthal, the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, says that abortions and HIV status do not need to go in the electronic health records all Americans are supposed to have by 2014 under the terms of the economic stimulus. OTHER CNSNEWS.COM HEADLINES Mexican Prison Guards Let Killers Out, Lent Then Guns, Prosecutors Say BP Says 'No Final Decision' on Replacing Tony Hayward Fungus Blights Nation's Basil Crop European Union to Adopt New Sanctions Against Iran Classified U.S. Documents Leaked Online Give Inside Look at Afghanistan War Obama's Message to Voters: Things Could Be Worse Veterans Affairs Department Clarifies Its Policy on Medical Marijuana WikiLeaks Says Documents Include Evidence of War Crimes Ford Introduces New, Fuel-Efficient Explorer Donate Today! Please help CNSNews.com keep bringing you 'The Right News - Right Now!' Make a contribution to CNSNews.com today. It's fast, simple and secure. Help CNSNews.com and Donate Today!  NEWSPAPER ROUNDUP Police, security bar people from photographing public buildings in Washington, D.C. Geithner defends letting tax cuts for wealthy expire, cites deficit Justice Department right in Black Panther case, commission official says Chavez warns of US oil cutoff in Colombia dispute Colorado Tea Partiers say Tancredo betrayed them Howard Dean calls Fox News 'absolutely racist' for aiding Sherrod ouster Al Franken warns that GOP Congress would bring 'truly dangerous agenda' Wal-Mart plan to use smart tags raises privacy concerns Atlantic City takeover another example of Christie's governing style Heavy liability could sink small oil drillers COMMENTARY Wagging Fingers By Rich Galen The United States Navy, in conjunction with naval forces of the Republic of South Korea, is holding a joint combat exercise off the coast of the Korean peninsula to show the North Koreans that the U.S. and South Korea are taking its provocations seriously. We are, in a very real sense, wagging a finger under the nose of North Korea.

Fwd: Morning Bell: Let's Not Make a Deal

07/27/2010 Let's Not Make a Deal At the height of the debate over Obamacare, when the White House's leftist allies were in full panic mode, The Washington Post's Ezra Klein accused Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) of being "willing to cause the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people." Lieberman's crime? He opposed including an expansion of Medicare in the health regulation bill. Now that the President's signature foreign policy achievement, the New START nuclear agreement with Russia, is on the ropes, the left is again back to their hyperbolic ways. Ploughshares Fund president Joseph Cirincione told The Associated Press last week: "A delayed ratification with a close vote would be a blow to U.S. leadership around the world. People would doubt the President's ability to negotiate other agreements." The histrionics are the result of a sudden surge of concerns over the treaty that started with a blast from Mitt Romney who declared the treaty "Obama's worst foreign policy mistake." Sens. John Kerry (D-MA) and Carl Levin (D-MI) attempted to shoot down Romney's concerns, but their responses raised more questions than they answered. Romney has responded to his critics by identifying eight problems with New START that must be resolved before the Senate can vote on the treaty. We'll focus on three today:

Fwd: National Security Update – Lights out for America? The Threat of an EMP Attack

heritage.org | Heritage research | Blog |                        July 26, 2010 Issue in Depth: Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Attack The threats posed by an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack are not widely known by the average American, but present a huge danger to U.S. National Security. Nevertheless, this issue receives far too little attention in Congress. An EMP is a high-intensity burst of electromagnetic energy. In an attack, these particles interact and send electrical systems into chaos. The effects of a ballistic missile equipped with an EMP device would be devastating. With the electric grid fried by the resulting electromagnetic pulse, banks, air traffic, hospitals, and running water would all be compromised, leading to unprecedented crises. The threat makes the need for a comprehensive missile defense system that much more vital. The implementation of such a sys¬tem would serve to prevent an attack by dissuading those who wish to carry out such actions and sending a clear message that the U.S. takes this threat seriously. Please see our most recent research on the dangers of an EMP attack in this week's National Security Update. Latest Research: Independent Working Group: Countering the EMP Threat: The Role of Missile Defense Among the threats facing the United States are short-range ballistic missiles launched from vessels such as freighters, tankers, or container ships off our shores to detonate a warhead that could have catastrophic Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) consequences for the United States. No national strategy addresses either the EMP threat or underwrites a serious program to counter the delivery of EMP by a ballistic missile launched from a vessel off our coasts. The Heritage Foundation: Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Attack: A Preventable Homeland Security Catastrophe A major threat to America has been largely ignored by those who could prevent it. An electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack could wreak havoc on the nation's electronic systems-shutting down power grids, sources, and supply mechanisms. An EMP attack on the United States could irreparably cripple the country. The Heritage Foundation: Time for an EMP Recognition Day On March 23, 1983, President Ronald Reagan gave a famous speech where he outlined his plans for the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), aimed at protecting America from a nuclear missile attack using land- and sea-based missile defense systems. On the anniversary of this famous oratory, however, America faces another threat, one that requires Congress's immediate attention: an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack. The Heritage Foundation: Congress Starts Thinking Seriously About Cybersecurity - but More Thinking Needed Given the need to develop a cohesive strategy for tackling the security challenges posed by the cyber domain, it is essential that Congress digs into the difficult issues and finds smart solutions—drafting the two bills is an important first step. But even more work is required from Congress if America's cybersecurity challenges are to be successfully met. More Blogs: The Foundry: Don't Let the Lights Go Out: Defend Against EMP We've been warned. In 2004, the Commission to Assess the Threat of the United States from Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) reported that "EMP is one of a small number of threats that can hold our society at risk of catastrophic consequences." The Foundry: Iran's 'World Without America' and the EMP Threat Recent reports indicate Iran could have a nuclear bomb by 2015, if not earlier. What has been largely ignored is Iran's ability to acquire an equally destructive device, an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) weapon. Clifford D. May, president of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, and I recently penned an article describing how Iran can achieve its destructive ends — "a world without America." The Foundry: Rethinking the Defense Budget...Yet Again Washington's latest over-used phrase—"rethinking the defense budget"—has, for many policymakers, come to mean "what can we cut next?"   More Events: July 28, 2010, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.  Location: Washington, DC The Heritage Foundation: Keeping America Free, Safe, and Prosperous: Counterterrorism in the Obama Administration Join us as Representative Peter King (R-NY) addresses counterterrorism in the Obama Administration and the future of homeland security. July 29, 2010, 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Location: Washington, DC The Heritage Foundation: Skating on Stilts: Why We Aren't Stopping Tomorrow's Terrorism Drawing on his experience, former Homeland Security official Stewart A. Baker argues for building prudent new security measures around these key information networks. August 24-25, 2010 Location: Washington, DC National Defense University: The Economic Element of National Power: Economic Security is National Security This symposium seeks to illuminate and promote informed discussion on the ways in which government and commercial sector leaders must work together to reform and revitalize our national economy to support enhanced national security. Featured speakers include government officials and a wide range of private sector experts. Copyright All Rights Reserved © 2009, The Heritage Foundation The Heritage Foundation | 214 Massachusetts Ave NE, Washington, DC 20002 | 202.546.4400

Fwd: Morning Bell: An Admission of Failure

07/26/2010 An Admission of Failure It is established practice in Washington that if you have to release bad news, it is best to do it on a Friday ... the later in the day the better. So not only did the White House schedule the publication of the "Mid-Session Budget Review" for last Friday, but they then released it three hours late to ensure that as few reporters as possible were left in the nation's capital to cover it. But Heritage's dedicated budget team patiently waited the Obama administration out, and their analysis shows that this year's mid-session review is nothing short of a complete admission of failure of the White House's economic policies. When President Obama sold his $862 billion economic stimulus to the American people, he promised that, if enacted, it would prevent unemployment from ever rising above 8%. With unemployment currently at 9.5%, the American people are now well aware that the President's stimulus has been a complete failure. But Friday's report was the first time this Administration was forced to admit just how long Americans will have to suffer for their failed economic policies. According to Friday's report, the Obama administration now projects that unemployment will average 9% throughout all of next year and 8.1% throughout 2012. And if that news wasn't bad enough, the report pegs this year's budget deficit at $1.471 trillion, or 10% of the entire U.S. economy. In nominal dollars, it's the largest deficit in American history; and as a percentage of the economy, it's the largest deficit since World War II. To pay for that $1.471 trillion hole, our government will borrow 41 cents of every dollar it spends. And the Obama Administration concedes that these large deficits are here to stay. It projects another $1.42 trillion deficit in 2011, which is $150 billion worse than previously predicted. Looking ahead, the President's budget includes deficits that never fall below $698 billion and leaves our children with $18.5 trillion in debt by 2020. And all this assumes the economy will grow 4% from 2012-2014. The only times the economy performed that well in the past thirty years was from 1997-2000 and from 1983-1985. These future deficits are driven almost exclusively by rising spending. As Heritage Foundation analyst Brian Riedl noted earlier this year: "Before the recession, federal spending totaled $24,000 per U.S. household. President Obama would hike it to $36,000 per household by 2020 — an inflation-adjusted $12,000-per-household expansion of government." There is a way out of this deficit nightmare: stop spending. If the federal government managed to return to the per-household spending level of the Reagan administration, the budget would be balanced by 2012 without any tax hikes. Too ambitious? Just returning to the per-household spending levels that existed before the current recession would balance the budget by 2019. But that is not the route this President wants to take. President Obama wants to close the gap between what our government spends and what it takes in by raising taxes by $3 trillion. His Treasury secretary was on television yesterday claiming this massive tax tsunami would have no effect on economic growth. After last Friday's Mid-Session Budget Review exposed the failure of this Administration's economic stimulus claims, does anybody believe anything this Administration says anymore? Print | Comments | Forward RECENT ENTRIES House and Senate Cloakroom: July 26-30, 2010 North Korean Threats Show Need for Robust Defenses White House Confirms Continued Trillion-Dollar Budget Deficits DISCLOSE Act Assault on First Amendment Continues What's 2 + 2? When the Russians Say 3, START to Worry QUICK HITS Former Gov. Mitt Romney (R-MA) identifies Eight Problems with New START at NRO. The day before President Barack Obama spoke to leftist activists in Las Vegas last weekend, former White House aide Van Jones told the same conference not to worry about deficits, that there are plenty of rich companies to raise taxes on, and "the only question is how to spend it." Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid told the same leftist activist conference, "We're going to have a public option, It's just a question of when." Former Sen. Tom Daschle (D-SD) who is not a lawyer, has earned millions of dollars working for a lobbying firm, but still has not registered as a lobbyist. China has given Brazil $10 billion to develop offshore oil drilling projects and plans to invest another $240 billion. Share Today's Morning Bell Facebook Myspace Digg Linkdin Twitter   Know anyone who shares your conservative values and principles and may want to receive the Heritage Foundation newsletters?  Please refer them to Heritage today! Connect with Heritage Facebook Twitter YouTube Kindle Flickr Support our work by becoming a member with your gift of $25 or more. The Heritage Foundation 214 Massachusetts Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002-4999 Call us at (202) 546-4400 Add morningbell@heritage.org to your address book to ensure that you receive emails from us. H

Fwd: Sen. Kerry Predicts ?Ice-Free Arctic' In '5 or 10 Years?

Today's Headlines Friday, July 23, 2010

Sen. Kerry Predicts 'Ice-Free Arctic' In '5 or 10 Years' (CNSNews.com) – Speaking at a town hall-style meeting promoting climate change legislation on Thursday, Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) predicted there will be "an ice-free Arctic" in five to 10 years... Lawmaker Who Wrote Arizona Immigration Law Intervenes in Obama Administration Lawsuit (CNSNews.com) – The author of the Arizona immigration law filed a court motion to stop the federal government's effort to prevent the law from going into effect on July 29... Liberals, Conservatives Agree: Re-Imposing the Death Tax Designed to Penalize the Wealthy (CNSNews.com) - Unless Congress acts to extend its repeal, the death tax is scheduled to return in 2011-- a tax that liberals and conservatives alike seem to agree is designed only to attack the "pockets" of the wealthy... NATO's Education Training Chief Unsure When Afghan National Security Force Will Be Fully Literate (CNSNews.com) - An objective for when to expect a fully literate Afghan National Security Force (ANSF) has not been established despite an ongoing U.S.-led education training program in place, according to NATO's education training chief... As Separatists Welcome Int'l Court Kosovo Opinion, US Insists it's Not Applicable Elsewhere (CNSNews.com) – The International Court of Justice's long-awaited opinion on Kosovo Thursday may be non-binding and Kosovo-specific, but it resonated around the world, buoying secessionist movements and prompting anxiety in countries grappling with separatism... CNSNEWS.COM VIDEO HHS: Abortions and HIV Status Don't Have to Go in Electronic Health Records Dr. David Blumenthal, the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, says that abortions and HIV status do not need to go in the electronic health records all Americans are supposed to have by 2014 under the terms of the economic stimulus. OTHER CNSNEWS.COM HEADLINES Al-Arabiya Director Calls Nuclear Iran 'Most Dangerous Threat That is Facing Our Region in 100 Years' White House Backs Bill to Collect Employee Pay Information from Businesses Senate Republican Leader Won't Campaign in Nevada Against Senate Democratic Leader University of Illinois Says Professor 'Has Not Been Fired' for Teaching Catholic Doctrine On Homosexuality in Catholicism Class – He's Just Not Teaching Classes Don't Limit Lockerbie Probe to BP Claims, Campaigners Urge US Senators Donate Today! Please help CNSNews.com keep bringing you 'The Right News - Right Now!' Make a contribution to CNSNews.com today. It's fast, simple and secure. Help CNSNews.com and Donate Today!  COMMENTARY The Democrats' War on the West By Michelle Malkin "Why do they hate us?" It's a burning question on the minds of border-dwelling taxpayers, small-business owners, farmers, and Rocky Mountain oil and gas industry workers suffering under punitive Democrat policies. Eighteen months into the Barack Obama administration, the war on the American West is in full swing... Hollywood Shocked as Family Films Flourish By L. Brent Bozell III The surprise box-office boom for the cartoon "Despicable Me" is making it clear again to Hollywood this summer that family films are the most likely to be top-grossing films. "Toy Story 3" is number one for 2010, not only among the critics, but among the people as well. "Despicable Me" already has broken into the top ten box-office hits for the year to date with almost $130 million in ticket sales...